


Better Than A Dream?

by Ruolumen, U_can_tell_he_is_evil_by_the_backwards_A



Series: A Father's Protection [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-12
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2017-11-11 23:22:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/484030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruolumen/pseuds/Ruolumen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/U_can_tell_he_is_evil_by_the_backwards_A/pseuds/U_can_tell_he_is_evil_by_the_backwards_A
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce has been crushing on Tony Stark since starting high school, but he never would think Tony liked him back.  Will they ever get past each others dark secrets?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day of Junior Year

**Author's Note:**

> U_Can_Tell helped me write the dream sequence, and deserves credit for that. She's always there for me to bounce ideas off of, and she's a helpful beta. I couldn't write this without her.
> 
> The rating, warning and child abuse tag is for the future, but I felt you all deserved a warning. I do promise a happy ending!
> 
> Also, I have a lot of other stories, mostly one shots, going on right now too, so I will update this one as I can but please forgive me if the updates aren't terribly fast. They will come, I will not quit on this story, I promise.
> 
> Enjoy!

It was a dream. It had to be. There was no way the real Tony freaking Stark would be here with him. Though, it was nice having Tony here with him, don't get him wrong, just highly improbable.

Wait... was that Steve Rogers, Captain of the football team, star athlete, running past in blue spandex?

Why were Clint and Natasha playing a game where, if he was not too crazy and could hear them correctly, the winner was the one with the most kills?

And, really, why did it not seem strange to see Dr. Blake running around in a cape with a hammer? It should be strange... Right?

“Well, Dr. Sexy-no-pants, you going to suit up?” Tony asked him. Bruce looked over at him and only now registered that he was in some sort of red and gold, flashy armor. Or had he been in that all along? Tony turned to him when he failed to respond, his unconcealed face written with concern. “Bruce, you okay?”

“Uh, yeah,” Bruce heard himself responding with no real thought to the words, “just lost myself there for a moment.”

“Okay then,” Tony said, after kissing his cheek. “Bring out the other guy.”

“Sure, Tony.”

Suddenly he feels... powerful. Like no one, or nothing, could take him down...

 

Of course, that would be when the alarm went off.

“What the hell was that...?” he asked himself, bringing his hand up to scrub his face.

“Bruce? You up?” he heard from down the hall. “You're going to be late for school if you don't get moving soon.”

“Got it Mom.” He calls while he sits up and inspects his bed. As he gets dressed he can't help but think thankfully, 'At least I don't have wet sheets.'

After getting dressed Bruce walked into the kitchen of his and his mom's little Midtown Manhattan apartment where she had made breakfast.

“How has school been going dear?” she asked him while he ate his eggs and toast.

Looking up, Bruce noticed that the wounds on his mom had mostly healed, and despite what she had been through she somehow still smiled everyday now. Bruce tried to do the same, and it was becoming easier. In fact, the easiest way he had found was forgetting the before time in the shitty house in South Bronx had ever happened.

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts that would bring those memories back, he smiled at his mom. “It's going fine Mom, just like every morning when you ask.”

“Have I told you how proud of you I am for getting the scholarship to Midtown Prep High?”

“You have, Mom,” he said, “for the past couple of years. And every day since we moved here.” Bruce picked up his plate and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he walked past her to put the dishes in the sink.

“Good, I'm proud of you my love,” she said to him as she handed him a lunch bag. “I have been forever, and since the day you showed me that acceptance letter.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he said, blushing slightly at the praise. He took the lunch with a less than pleased look, but hid it from her well, and grabbed his backpack to stick it inside. Of course Bruce knew they could not afford the lunches sold at the school, not when the only reason they lived in this apartment was that the state put them up here for their own safety, but he hated the looks the other kids gave him when he pulled it out to eat.

It really did not matter though, as the only people who mattered, his best friends in the world, Betty, Natasha and Clint, never looked down on him for bringing a packed lunch. With that thought in mind he gave his mom a good-bye hug, gave thanks to whatever deity's were out there for their safety now, and left to catch the subway.

 

Tony had been dreaming about something, something nice he thought, but it hardly mattered when a big body collapsed on top of his. Letting out an 'Oof' of exhaled air, he opened his eyes to see the muscular body of his best friend Steve Rogers.

“Rise and shine!” the blonde shouted through his laughter at his friend's expense. “First period starts in twenty minutes!”

“Then I have fifteen more minutes of sleep,” Tony groaned, trying to shove the big body off of him. “Let me sleep!”

“Don't you want to look good for your 'Mythologies' Class?” a feminine voice asked from the doorway. Tony turned his head and glared, of course Pepper was behind this. She was sneaky and devious and Tony did not know why he was friend's with her, except that she was also amazing and kind and put up with him.

“I don't even like mythologies.”

“Bruce is in that class though,” Steve said, and at some point Tony realized he had shifted on the bed so he was laying beside him instead of on top.

All thoughts of Steve's position on his bed vanished, though, at the thought of Bruce, and Tony was up and looking for something nice, but casual that he could wear. “Why didn't you tell me it was Thursday?” he asked, slightly flustered while he finally grabbed something he deemed worthy and got dressed.

“You should be able to keep track of days, Tony,” Pepper chided, while they ushered him out of his room. Steve carried his backpack while he led him towards the school grounds by his shoulders. Tony never was good about keeping motivated in the mornings, even this morning when he knew he would be seeing Bruce first period. (Though, that wasn't Bruce's fault.) Seeing as that was only a few times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday), he wasn't even remotely conscious the other two mornings of the week, and those days there was no guarantee he made it to class. Due to this, Steve had some fun while leading his friend around.

Once they made it inside the school grounds Pepper wandered off and Steve steered his friend into a corner, and after a snicker he apologized, before walking him into a wall and busting up laughing.

“Steve!” Tony whined, looking up finally after bashing his face against a wall right next to a door. “Why do you keep doing that?”

“It wouldn't be a problem if you'd get yourself going in the morning, Tony,” a new voice said from nearby.

Tony looked up excitedly at hearing Rhodey's voice, and he stopped rubbing his forehead to run towards him. “Rhodey! Save me!” he shouted.

A raised eyebrow was his only answer before he was pushed back towards Steve. “I am not your protection,” Tony was told while he stumbled until Steve caught him.

“Rhodey,” Tony whined, standing on his own two feet finally after squirming out of Steve's arms.

“Boys, I feel like you have this argument every day,” Pepper said, walking up and handing Tony a coffee from the cafeteria.

“That's because we do, Pep,” Rhodey answered, “and if Tony changed everything else would too.”

“I won't argue with that.”

Tony stared at his friends in disbelief of their cruelty before pouting.

 

As soon as Bruce stepped onto the school grounds he caught sight of his friends waiting for him, and he had to smile. It was nice to have people in his life that he knew cared about him.

“Ready to see your crush in first period?” he heard as he got within hearing range.

It was usually nice to have people in his life that he knew cared about him.

He simply glared at Clint while he walked up to them, ignoring the comment.

Seeing his friends reminded him of his dream, and he was unsure what to think after having a dream of two of his three best friends killing for fun. It was a relief Betty had not been in that dream, or he would not be able to think coherently.

“Come on, Bruce, the love of your life? You're not excited?”

Bruce was about to retort even while the heat rushed to his face, the dream momentarily forgotten at Clint's incessant need to be annoying, but Natasha smacked Clint upside his head and Betty repeated the action from his other side. Clint whined, but kept his mouth shut for the moment while Betty turned towards him.

“You brought your lunch again,” she said, nodding towards the brown bag in his hands. “Why won't you let me buy you lunch?”

“I don't want charity, Betty, you know that,” he said, as gently as he could, letting go of Clint's words because the nuisance had stopped talking.

She smiled at him, understanding. “I know how you feel Bruce, I just have to offer every day, make sure you know someone cares.”

“We care,” Clint protested.

“Is that why you always tease him?” Natasha asked.

Before Clint could answer the bell rang, and the four of them walked into school together, dropping the discussion for later, which was all well and good for Bruce. He was already starting to get nervous about Mythologies and sitting next to Tony Stark as it was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Bruce get a project in Mythologies class.

Dr. Blake looked like he belonged in ancient myths, not teaching them. The man could not pull off a sweater vest and tie no matter how many consecutive days he tried. His long blonde hair hung past his shoulders, but it had more of the effect of an old age warrior than a new age hippie, at least in Bruce's humble opinion. Though if asked why he thought that he would be hard pressed to give a good reason.

Sitting at his desk Bruce pulled out his 'Introduction to Mythologies' book and some paper for taking notes, perfectly prepared to somehow make it through class silently with Tony Stark next to him.

The class was held in the school's sciences department, so each desk sat two people. That meant there was no escape for Bruce when Tony sat down next to him except to try to keep his eyes fixed forward and ignore him. It seemed a better option than blushing all through class and making a fool of himself.

As soon as Tony sat down, however, and looked over at Bruce for just a moment, Bruce was lost. He could feel the blush spreading from his cheeks out and cursed himself for being a lost cause.

“Alright, class, I know you all know finals are coming up, and that means final projects,” Dr. Blake said as a morning welcome. All he got in response were groans. As he opened his mouth to continue, the classroom door opened and his attention, along with all of his student's, turned to see a light haired brunette poke her head in.

“Thor, honey,” she said, waving to him and holding out a box of Pop Tarts, “I brought you your breakfast.”

The man flushed slightly, and caught the little box as it was tossed to him. “Jane, my love, if you have food for me please give it to me before class,” he said, with nothing but affection in his voice.

“Of course,” she smiled, before waving at the students and leaving as quickly as she'd come.

Dr. Blake, who apparently also went by Thor, which brought Bruce back to his dream for a moment, smiled and shook his head, the blush slowly fading from his cheeks, as he set the apple on his desk and turned back to his class. He was completely composed again.

“Now, your final projects,” he said, and the entire class groaned again clearly hoping he had forgotten after the interruption. He continued as if no sounds had been made. “You have a month and a half as of today, and you will be working in pairs.”

The students quieted their protests as they realized they would not have to take the weight of this alone, but as all teenagers believe any work is more work than they want, they still were not entirely placated. While Dr. Blake waited for them to get over their disappointment the students decided they would make this more bearable by going for their friends or crushes as partners.

They stood up with the intention of making their way towards their hopeful partners, a large number of both girls and boys coming towards Bruce and Tony's desk to ask Tony if he would work with them. Then Dr. Blake cleared his throat and got their attention again.

“Please, sit back down in your seats,” he instructed, waving his had at them in the general motion of 'go back where you came from'. “I will be assigning your partners. At least I can be fair and unbiased, unlike the majority of you.”

The look he fixed on their table made Bruce feel a little anxious, but he was the one being ignored, not being propositioned. Maybe things would be easier if Tony was not quite so popular, but he felt some serious emotions for Tony Stark, so he was unable to blame anyone else for it, even if he did hate the jealousy.

“You will be working with your table partners,” Dr. Blake said evenly, then sat down at his desk to prepare some slips of paper before dropping them into an old metal helmet usually displayed on one of the shelves by his desk.

Bruce felt his heart stop. He was going to be working on a project with Tony? For a month and a half they would be spending time together working on this project, and Bruce had no idea how, or why, the fate's were being so kind to him, but he was not going to question it. The smile that spread across his face did not go unnoticed by most of the students. They did, however, miss the slight curve of lips that Tony allowed.

“And now for the fun part. You will be choosing which Cultural Mythology you will be making your project on, and then I get to explain the project to you. The rest of today's class will be dedicated to beginning your research and planning your project's execution.”

One by one he called tables and they each went up to choose their project's subject. “Egyptian, good,” he said to one team. To another, “Greek, that is a simple one, I look forward to a good project.” Then, “Ah yes, Celtic, more obscure, but very interesting.”

Finally he called Tony and Bruce up, and Tony shoved his hand into the helmet to pull out a slip of paper. After reading it, he turned it around for Dr. Blake to see. The man grinned, pleased, as he announced, “Norse Mythology. Ah boys, this is my ancestry, and I look forward to seeing what the two of you come up with for it.” With a pat on both of their shoulders, he sent them back to their desks, and called up the next group.

As soon as every table had a subject to study, Dr. Blake cleared his throat and had all eyes back on him. “Before you can begin to plan this, you should know what the project is,” he told them, before going on the explain it.

 

The gist was simple, as far as Tony was concerned. A presentation project done however you want. Some people would probably do project boards, those stupid white boards you glue pictures to, others would do skits, and he was sure some people would even record their skits for atmosphere and to not have to stand directly in front of the class. He and Bruce, however, were going to do something awesome. Better than awesome, in fact. All he had to do was convince Bruce.

That would be easy. He hoped.

Once they sat back down at their desks, they looked at each other. Tony was unsure as to what to say about all the kids coming over wanting his help, when all he wanted to do was ask Bruce to be his partner. He handled it well, if you asked him, his fake smile in place and ready to deny them all, but he had been saved from having to do so when Dr. Blake told everyone to sit back down. Now Bruce would not be able to say no.

The first few minutes after they got the subject of their project Tony spent trying to get Bruce to open up. He had always known the kid was shy, but he was Tony Stark, if anyone could make him open up it was him. Finally, a well timed joke got him to laugh, and it was smooth sailing from there.

They spent the rest of their time trying to decide what the best way to showcase this form of Mythology would be, and finally decided it would be best to meet up at Tony's dorm room at the end of the school day. He had the best tools and equipment, and Bruce would have to see it all to fully understand what they had to work with. After that, they discussed their favorite and least favorite parts of Norse Mythology, and what they knew about it.

Tony's knowledge was strictly from class, he had better things to do outside of class than to study up on Mythologies that had nothing to do with his life now. If he had known how into the subject Bruce was he would have spent a little more time on it. Bruce knew quite a few of the minor details, not to mention the major ones. The smile that crept over Tony's face spoke volumes of how excited he was for this project to get underway, and looking around the room they looked like the only ones that were looking forward to this at all.

When the bell rang Tony had thought they had a lot of time left, he had been so caught up in talking to Bruce. Taking a moment to clean his stuff, he said good-bye to his class partner and set about organizing. He had not expected to hear a girl's voice say his name, and Bruce's.

“Dr. Blake, a lot of the students and I don't think it's fair that the two smartest kids in the class are working together. Tony should be allowed to work with whoever he wants, not that misfit Banner.”

A white hot ball of rage erupted in his chest when he heard her insult Bruce. The kid was shy because of girl's like her, and he would gladly tell her so. Dr. Blake spoke before he could, however, so he just took a few deep breaths to calm himself while they spoke. His dad wouldn't appreciate a fight, especially with a girl, on his permanent record.

“Ms. Carr, both of those boys may be the smartest this school has to offer,” he said, emphasizing the word both, “but they also both need help in this class. They would work well together because they have been working side by side since this semester started, and I am hoping if they put their minds together they will both be able to salvage their grades.”

Tony saw out of the corner of his eyes as the girl huffed, but stopped paying attention as she tried to press her point when his mind latched onto something else. Bruce knew this stuff, why would his grades be suffering?

The last thing he heard as he walked out of the room was Dr. Blake say, “My decision is final, Ms. Carr. You should focus on your project with your own partner.”

 

Bruce questioned, again, his decision to be friends with Clint at the end of the day. As soon as he had told them about the Mythologies project at lunch Clint had started in on the jokes and teasing about his feelings for Tony. He only stopped when Nat hit him over the head, rather hard, and then he grinned sheepishly, sat quietly for a few minutes to eat, and started in again.

It was a good thing Clint was such a good friend, his first friend at this school, otherwise Bruce was not sure he would be able to put up with it. As it was, he liked his friends too much to really let it bother him. He chuckled and blushed, and chalked it up to Clint just being Clint. That did not stop him from questioning his sanity in choosing these people as his friends.

Once he reached Tony's dorm room, he hesitated just a moment before knocking. The door did not open after a few moments and Bruce thought that maybe Tony had forgotten, or changed his mind. Maybe he had fallen asleep?

The problem was he felt that maybe he should not be surprised. Tony Stark probably had plenty of things he would rather be doing than some stupid school work. More than likely he would want Bruce to do all the work and “over see” his progress, meaning doing nothing but watch. It would hurt if that was what it came down to, but Bruce would do it. With a sigh, Bruce went to knock again, not wanting to think that Tony Stark would stand him up.

Then a shout down the hall caught his attention and he turned to see Tony come running towards him, weighted down by books.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting man,” he said, panting a bit to catch his breath. Then he held up the books in his arms, “I stopped by the library to pick up some books about Norse Mythology so I could get up to your level of knowledge.”

The smile on Tony's face stopped Bruce's heart for a moment, so open and expectant, looking for acceptance. Bruce smiled back and nodded. “No problem, not everyone can be as awesome as me.”

Tony laughed at that, then shifted the books to one arm to dig around for his room key.

Bruce was not the type of guy to make someone work overly hard when they did not have to, so he reached out and took the books for Tony, looking through them.

“These are some pretty heavy duty books, Tony,” he said, blinking.

“Yeah, well, I have a lot of catching up to do,” Tony grinned. “Ah ha! Found 'em!”

As he pulled out his keys and went to unlock his door, it hit Bruce. Tony wanted this to be even, fair. He even planned to study so they would be working on an even level. His heart swelling with hope and happiness Bruce stepped into Tony's room and set the books down on a table, then looked around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have plans for the future in this story, and it will not be ignored, but I have a lot of other stories, and prompts, ahead. If the pace is slow I'm sorry, but know the chapters will come as soon as I can get back to them. I enjoy this story, I hope you too!


	3. So sorry!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A note to our lovely readers

So in case anyone is still reading, I have bad news. We are no longer going to continue this story. A few years ago we were able to hang out and discuss all our ideas. Then Ruolumen moved to Iowa for school while I stayed in California to finish school. And by the time she moved back I moved to Idaho. We still talk but life doesn't give us the time we would like to continue with this. Good news is, Ruolumen feels bad and will continue to write. In fact we talked and agreed on finishing this story. But it's going to be rewritten into 4 or so chapters instead of the monster we originally came up with. Sorry again!

**Author's Note:**

> I have not abandoned this story, I am merely stuck, and writing some drabbles to help me work through the block. Feel free to read them as they get updated, and hopefully the new chapter will be out soon.
> 
> (If you're really curious and are still reading this, the problem was I had no idea how to write a kind Howard, as many stories paint him as an abusive SOB, so I wrote the drabbles to give a background of the life of Tony and Howard while Tony's growing up.)


End file.
